Tape dispenser



y 3, 1954 H. L. FISCHER 2,683,547

TAPE DISPENSER Filed April 3, 1952 Patented July 13, 1954 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to atape dispenser which is particularly adapted to be: used with pressure sensitive tape. The tape dispensed by the taper may be of paper and such as. is used for masking tape, or of plastic where the tape can be transparent or translucent, and the adhesive surface of the tape being of the character known as pressure sensitive material which adheres merely by pressing the tape against the surface to which it is to be attached;

In pressure sensitive tape ordinarily employed by my taper, it is not necessary to moisten the adhesive owing to the nature of. the adhesive which has a tacky nature and may contain. a rubber base material which keeps: the adhesive surface of the tape tacky so that it. may bereadily applied to any surface desired.

A taper of the character disclosed. herein provides a convenient means for dispensing the tape without the user engaging the tape with the fingers such as is ordinarily done in old types of dispensers. However, my tape dispenser provides a means of permitting the operator to: take hold of the tape. and withdraw the amount of desired, then cuttingoff the tape while the remainder of the tape from the supply roll is held virtually concealed within the tape dispenser excepting for the extending free end of the tape which projects out of an: opening in the bottom of the taper.

A feature of my taper resides in providing a simple inexpensive casing which is preferably made of molded plastic and. which can be transparent or translucent to expose the supply roll of tape therein. This casing: is made in two parts. One of the parts acts primarily to support the supply roll of tape on a hub formed projecting into the casing, and the other part of the taper forms the side wall to close the tape dispenser. In these respects my taper is similar to my tape dispenser illustrated in my Patent No. 2,324,204, dated July 13, 1943, and this application is an improvement on said patent. Afeature of the improvement in my tape dispenser resides in forming the tape cutting end. integral with the casing of the dispenser so that the cutter of the taper is formed of plastic and molded at the same time that the casing is formed. In this manner I dispense with an extra element such as a metal plate which was employed heretofore for the cutting of the tape.

A further feature of improvementin' my tape dispenser resides in forming the same with a transverse peripheral wall which extends around the main body portion of the casing and into the operating end thereof so that the end of the wall forms a transversely extending edge which is adapted to provide a snubber surface for engaging the free end of the adhesive tape and to hold the same from retracting into the easing. This snubber means'keeps the free end of the tape exposed sothat it will normally extend under an applying surface or roller. A further feature resides in providing transversely extending serrated grooves which lie adjacent to the snubber edge of the wall and permitthe free end of the tape to be laid back over these grooves when the taper is not in use, if it is'desired.

A further feature of the taper resides in providing a hood-like working end on the apexof which I form integral: with the wall' of the casing the serrated or cutting edge, and within which hood I provide a soft. pliable roller closely adjacent to the cutting edge so that the tape may be applied from the supply roll to a surface by pressing. the roller-against the back of the tape causing the pressure sensitive adhesive surface thereof to be fixedto any surface desired. The soft pliable roller is of importance in acting to press the adhesive tape into any inequalities of the surface. to which the tape is being applied. This gives the same advantage and action as if the soft portion of ones finger is usedto press the tape against the surface to which it is applied.

In operating the taper, the soft roller presses the same against the surface: to which the tape is being applied and their. by' rotating the entire taper up into a sharp angle the cutting surface on the apex of the hood serrates: the tape.

The applicant is licensed under Patent No. 2,016,527, dated October 8, 1935, and this application is'also an improvement over said patent.

These features, together with other details and objects, will be more fully and clearly hereinafter defined.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side view of the taper with the cover removed and illustrating the general position of the supply roll of tape held in the taper.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 illustrates the inside of the cover removed from the other side of the taper.

Figure 4 is a section of Figure 3 on the lined- 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view looking down on the top of the taper;

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the taper.

The drawings illustrate a taper for dispensing pressure sensitive tape-N or tape of a similar character and also adhesive tape, and is formed by molding the casing of the same out of plastic in two parts. One of said parts A is formed with a depth slightly greater than the width of the tape Ill which is adapted to be dispensed by the taper. The other part of the taper B forms the side wall of the casing and has the same general outline as the part B of the taper.

The casing portion A is formed with a hub H on which the supply roll of the tape I is supported. The tape H1 is usually supported on a cor member I2 and is adapted to roll freely on the hub II.

The portion A of the casing is provided with a circular formation so as to receive the roll of tape I0, and projecting forwardly therefrom I provide an integral hood portion I3 which is formed on the apex thereof with cutter teeth I4.

The portion A of the casing of the dispenser is formed with a transversely extending peripheral wall I5 which extends virtually around the entire portion of the casing A, excepting that the wall I5 is formed short of meeting the apex of the hood I3 to provide a transversely extending snubber surface IS. The snubber surface I6 is adapted to engage the adhesive surface of the pressure sensitive tape it] to retard the free end it! of the tape and prevent it from crawling or retracting back into the casing of the dispenser.

If it is desired, the free end Ill of the tape may be folded back into the transverse wall I5. I have provided a series of serrated surfaces II formed on the outer surface of the transverse wall against which the tape may be adhered. These serrated surfaces II prevent the pressure sensitive tape from sticking so tightly to the outer surface of the wall I5 that the free end I9 cannot be lifted therefrom.

The hood portion of the casing member A is formed with an integral projecting pin I3 which is adapted to fit into the opening I9 formed in the end of the cover B.

The cover B is formed with a circular portion adapted to fit the circular portion of the part A of the casing, and I provide a marginal flange which engages inside the transverse Wall I5 of the part A and assists in holding the parts A and B together.

The cover B is formed with a cylindrical-like portion 2I which is coaxial with the hub II and frictionally engage therein, as illustrated in Figure 2, to assist in holding the parts A and B together when the taper is closed as illustrated in Figures 2, 5, and 6.

The portions A and B of the casing are formed with bosses 22 and 23 respectively, which act to engage the sides of the core member I2 of the roll of tape III to centrally position the roll of tape between the sides A and B.

The cover B is formed with a central wall portion 24 which permits the operator to press against the inner surface of the same so as to assist in separating the parts A and B when it is desired to open the taper.

The hood or working end I3 of the taper is adapted to support a soft rubber or plastic roller 25 on the shank of the pin 26, which is formed with a head 21. The free end of the shank or pin 26 extends through the hole 28 around which the boss 29 is formed in the cover portion B.

The portion A is also formed with a reinforcing boss 39 on the outer surface which acts similarly to the boss 29 to strengthen the side walls of the respective parts 29 to support the pin 26 on which the roller 25 is mounted.

The roller 25 is adapted to be maintained or held supported to the portion A of the casing by the head 21, and the fact that the pin 26 is slightly larger in diameter than the hole formed through the roller 25 which receives the pin. Thus the roller 25 is always maintained or supported on the inside of the working end of the casing portion A under the hood I3. Thus, when the cover B is removed by disengaging the portion 2| from the hub I I and hole I9 is disengaged from the pin I8, the roller 25 remains supported by the portion A of the casing. The portion 2| of the cover B and the pin I8 cooperate with the hole I9 to hold the portions A and B in perfect alignment with each other to provide a plastic casing in which a roll of pressure sensitive tape I0 may be supported, where it can be conveniently dispensed by threading the free end of the tape out of the opening 3I and under the roller 25.

In using my taper to dispense tape or apply the same onto a surface the roller presses the tape I0 against the surface as the taper is drawn along above the surface on which the tape is being applied, and then by moving the casing of the taper up into a sharp angle the tape serrating teeth I4 will be brought into engagement with the back surface of the tape, tearing the same by a sharp movement of the taper and thus leaving the free end of the tape IIl extending below the roller 25 ready to be applied to another surface. With this taper it is not necessary to engage the pressure sensitive tape such as is ordinarily done by other tapers and thus the user does not have the tape sticking to his fingers, but is able to directly apply the tape to the article or surface on which it is desired. However, the user of this tape dispenser can engage the free end ID of the tape and pull out of the casing the amount of tape desired and then tear it off against the cutting teeth I4. The simplicity of my taper will be apparent, and when the user thereof becomes familiar with the same he probably will rarely engage the sticky pressure sensitive tape because no one ordinarily likes to have the sticky tape stuck to their fingers and with my taper this can be entirely avoided if desired.

I claim:

1. A dispenser for pressure sensitive tape having a plastic casing and formed with a support for a supply roll of tape, a cover for closing said casing and having coaxial engagement with said tape support, a soft pressure roller for applying said tape to a surface, said roller having a hole formed therethrough, a shaft rotatably mounted in aid casing and said cover for said roller and having a head portion thereon positioned outwardly of said casing, said shaft of a diameter greater than that of said hole in said roller for frictional engagement therewith to maintain said roller on said casing when said cover is removed, said cover having a hole formed therein of a diameter slightly greater than that of said shaft for receiving the end of said shaft opposite said head portion and a toothed tape cutter forward of and adjacent said roller.

2. A dispenser for pressure sensitive tape comprising a casing formed in two parts, one of said parts acting to support the roll of pressure sensitive tape and having a depth greater than the width of the tape, the other of said casing parts acting as the cover for the dispenser, a tape dispensing end formed on said dispenser, a tape-applying means including a roller having a soft pliable body, an axial hole extending through said roller, a rod for supporting said roller having a 5 diameter greater than the diameter of said hole in said roller, a head formed on said rod adapted to be positioned on the outside of the first mentioned part of said casing, the shank of the rod extending freely through a hole formed in the latter casing, and said soft roller being fixed on said shank to be held on said rod by friction, the free end of said rod extending freely through a hole formed in the other side of said casing cover to support said applying roller freely rotatable when said casing parts are closed together and to prevent said roller and rod from being disengaged from the latter mentioned side of said casing, to which it is attached, when said casing is opened.

References Cited in the file of this patent Number Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Voigt Oct. 8, 1935 Halpin June 7, 1938 Fischer July 13, 1943 Sorenson Oct. 31, 1950 Bobrov Dec. 5, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Dec. 30, 1937 

